Overview

• The Fendouzhe expedition carried out 19 dives over 2,500 kilometers in the Kuril and Aleutian trenches and found extensive fields of tube worms and mollusks at about 9,500 meters depth.
• These organisms depend on chemosynthesis fueled by hydrogen sulfide and methane from hydrothermal vents rather than sunlight.
• Researchers identified high methane deposits in trench sediments that could lock away vast amounts of carbon, suggesting a new component for climate models.
• Ongoing studies will examine the metabolic pathways of hadal fauna and plan expanded mapping of deep-sea habitats.
• Separately, scientists described a new Atlantic manta ray species, underscoring that much of marine biodiversity remains unexplored.